Institutions
2008 - present
Museums and cultural institutions exist as sources of authority and share a role as both protectors and creators of the stories we tell ourselves; who we are and what we value. In this series, photographs of museum installations, signage and advertisements are presented with altered text. Assuming a straightforward documentary style, the viewer is forced to face aggressive realities of the world we live in under an unexpected context. Part of the promise of a museum is to provide a safe distance at which to observe and passively receive information. By appropriating the authority of 'The Institution,' current social and political issues are given new weight and power. Furthermore, by encountering current topics that have yet to become normalized, we ask: Who will decide the story? A museum or its patrons? A government or its citizens?
Exhibition History:
2008, 2018: Fate, Fortune, Coming Times, New York
2010, Your Story Is Not Our Story, New York
2015, Performance Research Journal
